Folding display rack



Dec. 27, 1966 D. s. HOWELL 3,294,251

FOLDING DISPLAY RACK Filed Feb. 24, 1965 g: n 1 \n INVENTOR 0 a a Q 01m:5. HOWELL on u v a F u a) g nun ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,294,251FOLDING DISPLAY RACK David S. Howell, Royal Oak, Mich., assignor toArlington Aluminum Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of MichiganFiled Feb. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 434,754 9 Claims. (Cl. 211-178) Thisinvention relates to racks and, in particular, to display racks.

Hitherto, there has been a considerable demand for article display racksupon which articles, such as pamphlets or other literature can bedisplayed and easily dispensed, for use in public buildings, stores,churches, at convention exhibits, theaters, railway and bus stations,air transport terminals, schools and the like. Such article displayracks that have heretofore been available, however, have been bulky,have lacked rigidity, and have been inflexible as regards various sizesof articles displayed in the rack. The present invention overcomes thesedifficulties by providing a rigid rack which folds into compact spaceand is adjustable to various sizes of articles to be displayed.

Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide a foldingdisplay rack which is unusually rigid when erected and which isespecially suitable for the display of articles capable of standingupright against a board such as, for example, pamphlets or otherliterature, wherein the display board is provided with forward andrearward supporting leg units which in one position swing downward belowthe lower edge of the display board into engagement with the floor andin another position fold upward against the back of the board andthereby cause the rack to occupy the minimum of space for storage ortransportation.

Another object is to provide a folding display rack of the foregoingcharacter wherein the forward and rearward supports in the open orerected position of the rack are disposed in planes at acute angles toone another and in the folded position of the rack lie substantially inthe same plane parallel to the plane of the back surface of the displayboard of the rack.

Another object is to provide a folding display rack of the foregoingcharacter wherein the legs of each of the forward and rearward leg unitsare disposed in spaced parallel pairs with a bridge or cross portioninterconnecting the upper ends of the legs of each pair and serving as apivot shaft around which each paired leg unit swings between its open orerected and closed or folded positions.

Another object is to provide a folding display rack as set forth in theobject immediately preceding, wherein the -leg units are operativelyinterconnected by pivoted links so that when the operator swings one legunit between its erected and folded positions, the other leg unit iscaused to swing automatically into its intended position.

Another object is to provide a folding display rack of the foregoingcharacter wherein the display board is provided with article-supportingshelves and also with article retaining members spaced above theirrespective shelves and adjustable toward and away from such shelves inorder to adapt them to the retention of diflferent heights of articles.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following description of the accompanyingdrawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the folding display rack in its erectedposition;

FIGURE 2 is a slightly-inclined rear elevation of the rack shown inFIGURE 1, looking upward in the direction of the line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a slightly-inclined front elevation of the rack shown inFIGURES 1 and 2, looking downward in fragmentary section taken along theline 44 in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged approximately horizontal fragmentary sectiontaken along the line URE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged approximately vertical fragmentary sectionthrough one of the shelves, taken along the line 6-6 in FIGURE 3.

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIGURES l, 2 and 3 show in itserected position, a folding article display rack, generally designated10, as consisting generally of an article display board structure 12 anda folding supporting leg structure 14 which in turn includes U-shapedforward and rearward folding leg units 18 and 20 respectively. Thedisplay board structure 12 (FIGURE 3) consists of a channel border frame22 which in turn consists of top and bottom channel members 24 and 26and side channel members 28. Each of these channel border frame members24, 26, 28 (FIGURES 4 and 5) consists of forward and rearward flanges 30and 32 respectively interconnected by a web 34. The forward flange 30 isconnected at approximately its midportion to the forward edge of the web34 and is provided with a peripheral rib 36 extending therealong. Therearward flange 32 is provided with an enlargement 38 in which is formeda groove 40 receiving the peripheral edge of a display board 42 in theform of a plate or sheet provided with verticallyspaced horizontal rowsof perforations 44 (FIGURES 1 and 3).

The bottom channel member 26 serves as a bottom channel shelf fordisplayed articles. Mounted at vertically-spaced intervals on thedisplay board 42 are additional channel shelves 46 upon which otherarticles are placed (FIGURES 3 and 6). The lower portions of thearticles, such as pamphlets, stand upon and are supported by thehorizontal web portions 48 and are prevented from sliding off byvertical front flanges 50. The channel shelves 46 have narrow rearflanges 52 by which they are secured to the display board 42, as byself-threading metal screws 54. The pamphlets or other articles areprevented from falling outward from the display board 42 by theintermediate portions 56 of retaining members 58, the perpendicularopposite end portions 60 (FIGURE 5) of which are threaded to receiveretaining nuts 62 by which they are secured in the holes 44 at thedesired locations, depending upon the heights of the articles.

The U-shaped forward and rearward folding leg units 18 and 20respectively are provided with forward and .rearward leg portions 64 and66 respectively interconnected by horizontal bridge or pivot portions'68and 70 respectively mounted on vertically-spaced pairs of arcuate pivotbearing brackets 72 and 74 respectively. The pivot brackets 74 for therearward leg units 20 are mounted on a level above theforward bridge orpivot portion 68 and are closer together (FIGURE 2), and the rearwardbridge portion 70 is shorter in length than the forward bridge portion68. This construction enables the forward leg portions 64 to be locatedoutside and parallel to the rear ward leg portions 66 in the foldedposition of the leg structure 20, as shown by their dotted linepositions in FIGURE 2. The pivot brackets 72 and 74 are bolted orotherwise secured to the back of the display board 42.

The folding leg units 18 and 20 are releasably held' in their unfoldedor erected positions by approximately W- shaped spring detent clips 76(FIGURE 4), the opposite reversely-bent spring arms 78 of whichyieldingly engage the forward leg portions 64 while the midportion orbridge portion 80 connecting the arms 78 is riveted or otherwise securedat 82 to the back of the display board 42 immedi- 55 in FIG- to fold theleg structure 14, the rearward leg unit 20 is automatically swungrearwardly in synchronism therewith. The rearward leg unit 20approximately midway between the opposite ends of its leg portions 66 isprovided with a horizontal stop bar 90 riveted thereto with its oppositeend portions 92 projecting laterally into engageability with the legportions 64 of the forward leg unit 18 in the folded positions of theleg units 18 and 20. The leg portions 64 and 66 terminate in cu-shapedfeet 94 of elastic deformable material, such as rubber.

In the operation of the invention, let it be assumed that the foldingdisplay rack is in its unfolded or erected position shown in FIGURES 1,2 and 3, and that it is desired to fill it with articles to bedisplayed. If the articles are of lesser height than the positions ofthe retaining members 58, the operator readjusts the latter by removingthem from the holes 44 in which they are at that time seated andsecuring them at a lower level by unfastening the outermost nuts 62(FIGURE 5) and reapplying the latter at the new location.

To fold the display rack 10, the operator preferably lays it on its facewith the front of the display board 42 facing downward on the floor. Hethen pulls upward on the lower ends of the leg portions 64 of theforward leg units 18 while holding the display board structure 12 downby means of his foot, then swings the leg portions 64 upward around thebearing brackets 72 as pivots, while the opposite reversely bent springarms 78 of the spring detent clips 76 yield laterally to permit releaseof the leg portions 64. While this is occurring, the links 84automatically swing the leg portions 66 of the rearward leg unit 20upwardly and rearwardly around their pivot bearing brackets 74 as anaxis. The operator swings the forward leg unit 18 in this manner throughan angle of approximately 180 degrees until the positions of the forwardand rearward leg units 18 and 20 are reversed from their erectedpositions shown in FIGURE 6 and lie flatly against the back of thedisplay board 42 in the dotted line positions shown in FIGURE 2. Thefolded article display rack 10 is then conveniently inserted in asuitable carton or flexible sheet plastic or fabric envelope (notshown), preferably closed by a slide fastener. To reerect the displayrack 10, the operator repeats the foregoing operations in a reversemanner which is believed self-evident from the above description of theoperation of folding it.

What I claim is:

1. A folding display rack, comprising a generally upright display boardstructure, and forward and rearward leg units of approximately U-shapedform having cross portions pivoted to said display board structure onparallel pivot axes disposed at spaced levels,

each of said leg units having laterally-spaced leg portions secured toand projecting downwardly from the opposite ends of its respective crossportion, the lower level cross portion being of greater length than theupper level cross portion.

2. A folding display rack, according to claim 1, wherein the legportions of each leg unit are disposed parallel to one another,

3. A folding display rack, according to claim 1, wherein a St p mem e isecu e tc't e re r rd 1 5 u t d is engageable with the forward leg unitin the folded positions of said leg units against said board structure.

4. A folding display rack, comprising a generally upright display boardstructure, forward and rearward leg units of approximately U- shapedform having cross portions pivoted to said display board structure onparallel pivot axes disposed at spaced levels,

each of said leg units having laterally-spaced leg portions secured toand projecting downwardly from the opposite ends of its respective crossportion, and means operatively interconnecting said leg units forautomatically swinging one leg unit around its respective pivot axis inresponse to the swinging of the other leg unit around its respectivepivot axis.

5. A folding display rack, according to claim 4, wherein said meanscomprises links pivotally interconnecting said leg portions of saidforward and rearward leg units at pivot locations spaced apart fromtheir respective pivot axes.

6. A folding display rack, according to claim 5, wherein said links arepivotally connected to the inner sides of the leg portions of. the legunit having the longer cross portion and are pivotally connected to theouter sides of the leg portions of the leg unit having the shorter crossportion.

7. A folding display rack, comprising a generally upright display boardstructure,

and forward and rearward leg units of approximately U-shaped form havingcross portions pivoted to said display board structure on parallel pivotaxes disposed at spaced levels,

each of said leg units having laterally-spaced leg portions secured toand projecting downwardly from the opposite ends of its respective crossportion, said display board structure .having an open-centered framewith a top frame member, a bottom frame member, opposite side framemembers interconnecting said top and bottom frame members, a displayboard member secured to and extending between said frame members, andshelf members secured to said structure intermediate said top and bottomframe members in spaced parallel relation ship therewith, and extendinghorizontally between said opposite side frame members.

8. A folding display rack, according to claim 7, wherein said shelfmembers have forward edges spaced away from said display board memberand also have displayed-articleretaining flanges projecting upwardlyfrom said forward edges.

9. A folding display rack, according to claim 7, wherein there areadditionally provided elongated horizontal displayed-article-retainingmembers having opposite end portions fixedly secured to said displayboard structure above said shelf members and having intermediateportions extending between said end portions in forwardly-spacedparallel relationship with said display board member.

References Cited by the Examm' er UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,244,773 6/1941 Hawk 248-451 2,902,239 9/1959 Janecka 248464 2,953,341 9/ 1960Howell 248-464 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,015 1903 Great Britain.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner, J. F, FOSS, A i ant Examiner,

1. A FOLDING DISPLAY RACK, COMPRISING A GENERALLY UPRIGHT DISPLAY BOARDSTRUCTURE, AND FORWARD AND REARWARD LEG UNITS OF APPROXIMATELY U-SHAPEDFORM HAVING CROSS PORTIONS PIVOTED TO SAID DISPLAY BOARD STRUCTURE ONPARALLEL PIVOT AXES DISPOSED AT SPACED LEVELS, EACH OF SAID LEG UNITSHAVING LATERALLY-SPACED LEG PORTIONS SECURED TO AND PROJECTINGDOWNWARDLY FROM THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF ITS RESPECTIVE CROSS PORTION, THELOWER CROSS PORTION BEING OF GREATER LENGTH THAN THE UPPER LEVEL CROSSPORTION.